So What's Coming to the New Pleasure Island?

Some of you are putting the cart before the horse. Disney's entire purchase of Marvel is subject to antitrust approval by the government. While everyone is assuming the deal is going to go through, it faces some serious hurdles. Universal doesn't compete with Marvel but Universal does compete with Disney. To allow Disney to own Marvel is not something that gets easily approved, in my opinion. I expect Universal and Busch to object to the purchase, as they ought to. The scope is so huge that it creates a chilling effect on competition in the theme park industry.

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To respond to some of the above PI comments, I find it obvious that whatever they had planned fell through. I don't remember where I heard it, but someone had said when Disney closed RRBC, they immediately found a leaser for the building. Since it went so quick, they figured they could do the same for the whole island. They had already decided and announced to close when the economy hit and everything fell through including RRBC.

They stripped mannequins and 8-trax so there couldn't be any possibility of it being rented or reopened. Why? I don't know. The two most profitable and most popular clubs got torn apart while the generic BET and Motion remained(I'm not even gonna get into AC). It's obvious they never planned to allow those clubs to be rented from Feb through September of this year.

I have heard, as many have, that they will eventually transform the entire DTD area and the name PI and West Side will be removed. For right now it stays as it is, but some pretty reliable sources are saying big changes on the way. BET was just stripped this week...in case anyone missed my last post stating that. All the lights and sounds are gone.

The clubs are growing more run down as they go longer and longer without maintenance. Mannequins is leaking on the second floor and the water is dripping right down to the stairway and onto the first level. BET always had a leak and had to be frequently painted to cover up the discolored walls.

Unfortunately, I missed all of the fireworks. My first real time at PI they had the stage up and everything. Ever since then they opened up the walkway. I have not been back since they announced they were closing it down. DTD gets zero of my dollars.

and I want a clean, smoke free, convenient, and safe location to go for techno music. I don't want a hole in the wall club, I don't wanna go through the worst part of town, and I don't wanna come home smelling like smoke. I want thumping bass, amazing lights, and a rotating dance floor darnit!

If anyone knows where I can get the comedy warehouse exit spiel, please let me know. I would like to incorporate it into my boat rides every now and then, but I can't find it on youtube or google.

Would love to see some comments posted from those who attended Congaloosh last night!!!

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I think all of who went came away very satisfied. There was an overall sadness, but we had a "dream cast" who brought the funny, and there really was a sense of closure at the end of the night. Many favorable comparisons to the last "final night" a year ago. Not crowded, no pushing and shoving, no suits taking up seats--and in a strange way, more upbeat. In "Saints," the verses all thanked the fans, but also encouraged everyone to move on as well. Otis (played by "Chipmunk Cheeks", an original CM) even quoted Up, telling us the next adventure is out there.

Looking forward to tonight as well, even though not in the Club. Hoping some of the former Disney insiders can give insight into the crazy soulless MBA thinking that led to the closure of PI.

EDIT: Line of the night, during the Rythym Ritual that opened the night: "Two, four, six, eight, now we're going to pack up everything and sell it at Property Control." It was a night filled with in-jokes for long-time fans.

I missed the congaloosh this week, bad timing we went last week!
But I was shocked at how busy DTD and PI were last week. There were a ton of people LOOKING for something to do. The live bands, DJ, Magic act were entertaining diversions, but it was fairly obvious that they need some sort of night time entertainment. The parks were EMPTY all of last week too, so to see those kind of crowds on Tue and Wed nights was fairly shocking.

Clearly, folks going to the effort and spending the money to be on vacation in spite of this bad economy are willing to spend even more to be entertained at night. Just cant believe that Disney is ignoring this.

The night started with a brief costume contest (seemed like dozens dressed up, many in park-ready attire) and 6 contestants who created their own "Balderdash"-like stories. Very fun, kept the evening light.

Jim Krokis spoke on the histories of PI, both actual (how it was created) and fictional (Merriweather Adam Pleasure's back story). Interesting tidbits:

Was originally going to be 3x the size.

Originally there was to be an AC restaurant next door--however, Micheal Eisner went down to Church St. Station, saw the line out the door for Chyenne Salloon, and the restaurant quickly became the Neon Armadillo.

Original plan for the AC was 3 "cycles" a night. Begin upstairs, go into the Salon for around 45 minutes (during which, seemingly randomly, there would be a Colonel presentation, a Babs presentation, and Mask Room and Treasure Room shows, then into the Library for one of 3 different shows before being dumped outside.

Mr. Krokis basically admitted that with 27 plaques, on black background so hard to read at night, it was pretty much impossible to follow the M.A Pleasure back story. But wow, the level of detail the imagineers came up with is just amazing.

Showed off concept art sketches for what became Hathaway and Otis, as well as the original logo Joe Rohde scribbled on a napkin

[Speaking of Mr. Rohde, apparently he refuses to talk about PI now, saying he only wants to be remembered for AK. Which I think is a shame. To me, AK remains a fascinating failure, while the AC is the pinnacle of Imagineering achievement.]

Mr. Krokis said the AC restaurant in Hong Kong will use the name and artifacts from the AC, but knows nothing else about it. He did seem very excited about Mystic Manor.

There was video, definitely worth finding when it is inevitably posted online.

This was followed by a panel discussion with several actors, including the original maid. They discussed both favorite and most embarrassing moments, how they were given a lot of freedom to develop their characters, and even how they used "Otis" as a stress release.

All in all, a nice send-off to the Club. But the way everyone talked, no chance of it coming back any time soon.

King Bob, heard from two or three people about last night, sounds like everyone had a great time. Also, check out the Saturday as well, if you can. There was a bit more about concepts that almost came to PI in general, not necessarily related to the AC. I remember a 24-hour TGI Fridays (!?!), what sounded like a variation on the Jazz Co. only with coffee, and what was described as essentially a rip-off of The Bubble Room (old-school Orlando reference there) only with Disney animation artifacts, to be called "W. Elias."

Later that night, one of the long-time security guards told me the original plan was to have the "nightclub district" (not an island, yet) stretch all the way around the lake to what was then The Disney Institute (now SSR). What could have been...

Just an update at how well the "New vision of Pleasure Island" is going...it seems any resort guest can now get discounted tickets for the Princess Di thing. If it stays as slow as it's been, Disney may start paying people to go

Jason, do you mean ideas that didn't get built for this past version of PI or ideas for what might be coming to the existing PI?

While I was chit-chatting with many people last night, I scoffed at the idea that Motion would be torn down in order to create a straight pathway from Marketplace to the West Side via PI. I scoffed because the Fulton's Crab House sits right there it's its waterside slip. Straight back at me was the response that the dear Empress Lilly might be moved!

Jason, do you mean ideas that didn't get built for this past version of PI or ideas for what might be coming to the existing PI?

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Ideas for the original PI back in the 80s...although a recurring theme is how the good ideas never really go away. (The early proto-Hathaway would have had a petrified pirannah attached to his boot; this was recycled with a pair of boots hanging on the wall). I know you were as much a fan of PI as a whole as the AC, and there were some interesting thoughts out there.

BTW, just speculation on my part, but I imagine the foot path going between Portabello and Raglan. There's actually a decent-sized gap there, and it would be a straight shot if you removed the stage area where Nova Era plays. This isn't a tip from anyone, just based on observation.